By Jenifer Howard
Going out for coffee in Greenwich has become a wonderful treat – not only are there great coffee shops in town, but Greenwich is doing something right with the number of inclusive cafés that employ adults with disabilities. The Café at Greenwich Library, Coffee for Good, Gregorys Coffee, the Island Beach Concession (when open this past summer), are all staffed by Abilis program participants – adults with developmental disabilities who go through Abilis’ competitive employment program.
When in central Greenwich, I make a point to stop in The Café at Greenwich Library when picking up library books, or even when I need a quiet place to work. Chatting with Abilis program participants and Café employees Michelle, Melanie, Sami and Desiree, brings joy to my day. The employees are always happy to see you, they love working there and their enthusiasm shines through. Coffee for Good has also become another go-to meeting place for getting together with friends or work colleagues. The beautiful interior of the cafe matches the beauty of the hard-working employees, all 24 who rotate through the training program and graduate to other job placements with other organizations in town, like Aimee and Jenn who recently graduated from Coffee for Good and joined Gregorys Coffee.
Abilis does a great job with competitive employment training as it prepares program participants for jobs. Abilis coaches are with trainees every step of the way during the training periods, working as coaches, teachers and advocates, and partner with the employers to ensure sustainable outcomes, remaining with the employees when they are placed in long-term jobs. The training programs are held at Project SEARCH, in partnership with Greenwich Hospital, which is a sought-after nine-month internship that rotates through different roles to gain important job skills in the process; Coffee for Good, in partnership with Second Congregational Church, where the beautiful warm and cozy atmosphere feels like a hug when you stop in. And hugs are plentiful at Abilis Gardens & Gifts, another retail training site at Abilis’ headquarters in Glenville, where Abilis trainees make the most beautiful (and affordable) flower arrangements in town, hand-crafted candles and bath products and other wonderful gifts. I will be shopping there for my Valentine’s Day roses in the coming week!
The coffee shops, hospital and Abilis Gardens & Gifts are not the only places you will find Abilis program participants working. Abilis has more than 100 partners in the community and in lower Fairfield County. Peter helps shelve books at Greenwich Library; Karen is a fixture at Whole Foods; Omar works at Splash Car Wash; Gabriel is at Something Natural; Graham sells his family’s organic blueberries all around town in the summer – something we always make sure to stop in at Abilis Gardens & Gifts for some quarts of Grahamberries before they sell out (and they sell out fast!). Travis always has a smile while stocking shelves at Home Depot and has been the Employee of the Month two times! Gabriel and Rasha brought their constant upbeat attitudes to the Island Beach Concession this past summer. There is also Stop & Shop, Acme, Kings, Shop Rite and so many other local businesses that employ Abilis program participants.
Then there are the Abilis businesses: firewood delivery and paper shredding, which are services residents can support, and in the process, support Abilis as well. The competitive employment programs with Abilis have been such a successful model in Greenwich that other towns are now taking notice and partnering with Abilis to bring employment opportunities for adults with disabilities to their towns – like Dante’s Café at the New Canaan YMCA, Project SEARCH at the Darien YMCA and The Café at Darien Library scheduled to open next month.
In many of these locations, these inclusive employment opportunities have Abilis program participants working side-by-side with peers without disabilities. These opportunities to work, be independent and be a part of the community are so important to those of all abilities. Lessons in diversity and inclusion, tolerance and mutual respect are provided every day when we bring together members of the community with varying backgrounds. These experiences also provide opportunities for adults with disabilities to have the opportunity to live, work, earn a living and take an active role in the community for a full and meaningful life. Greenwich and Abilis are leading the way with inclusive employment opportunities and it makes me proud to be a resident and to support these inclusive businesses in our community.
